Hayfever
by MrsOzera
Summary: As Haymitch and Effie kiss, two worlds collide as Effie decides to join Haymitch in District 12. This couple will see some interesting twists and turns as they come to new realizations. [Picks off after Haymitch and Effie's kiss in Mockingjay Part 2]
1. Then

_Then_

Effie's world was blinded by tears, the coursing emotions settled deep within her like a constant flame bringing warmth.

Watching Katniss and her former mentor, Haymitch Abernathy walk down the stairs from the mansion was almost too overwhelming for her to bear and she had to turn away for a couple seconds, pressing both her hands against her mouth to stop herself from crying.

 _The war is over. There is nothing to be upset about,_ she kept reminding herself, holding her head up high, as her parents taught her, and breathing deeply. Yet why did she still feel as if a piece of her life was missing amidst all the celebrations and toasts? At that thought a recent memory of yesterday flashed through her mind:

 _Flutter Featherlight, one of Effie's closest and most trusted friends leaned towards her under the pulsing purple lights of the party, "Effie," Flutter chirped in her high voice, indicating toward Effie's completely full stem glass with her red two-inch fingernails, the drink sputtered out sparkles every few seconds, "drink up darling, this is a prime social, not something to be upset about." Effie didn't respond, instead she straightened out her deep blue wig and slowly leaned back into her armchair with a tiny sigh, still managing to look polite as she did so. Flutter frowned at her._

 _"Oh Effie," Flutter continued with a overly chirpy laugh, "aren't you happy this is all over? What you had to endure with those rebels, now that is what I call grit. And we both know how much time your job as a Hunger Games escort took up. Never enough time to see your_ dearest _friend." Flutter pouted her lips delicately that even Effie's lips pulled up at the corners as the sudden nostalgic memories overtook her._

 _Flutter and her had been best friends ever since they grew up together in one of the most prestigious fashion academies in the northern sector of the Capitol. Effie had already then been a huge devotee to scheduling and Flutter enthusiastically fluttered along: modeling for each other on Monday, raiding their mothers bulging closets on Tuesday (whilst the parents were out attending weekly soirees), a hair color change on Wednesday which would then be matched with a trip to get new nails on Thursday, Fridays were reserved for sipping virgin drinks at the city Circle whilst tittering about the latest fashion arrivals. Saturday and Sundays were always kept for some much needed beauty sleep, an occasional visit to the doctor to remove the ever present sleepy eyes and any high society events which the Trinket family had been invited to. They never had a boring moment in their lives, and were constant companions to each other. After all, that was what the Capitol youth were meant to do: live happily ever after in a never-ending rush of joy._

 _When Effie had been offered a job as escort for the Hunger Games, she had been ecstatic, and she had given her all to make her superiors proud of her work._

 _"Well, at least you never have to see that_ horrible drunkard _anymore, my dear." Flutter looked sympathetically at Effie who began picking at her tiny appetizer plate - a small lemon-drenched salmon filet served with ripe plums._

 _At that Effie's throat contracted, and she had a hard time breathing, thinking of what Flutter had just said._ That horrible drunkard. _She meant Haymitch Abernathy, of course. After all, those were the exact words Effie had used to describe him to Flutter when she first began working with him. Never caring about anything other than his ceaseless thirst for booze, she had thought haughtily the first time she laid eyes on him. After the first Games they had cooperated together she began to realize that he just didn't care enough to save the two children he had been given and she had begun to lose hope in him, feeling little relief even when the tributes seemed somewhat capable. Haymitch alwgays ended up abandoning them to their own wits. At least that's what Effie had let herself believe at first._

 _After a while she began to notice his telltale signs of pain; the way his eyebrows drooped when he felt out of control, the lines around his mouth that tightened, and of course, him constantly reaching to the next drink, fingers clenching stiffly around the glass. She especially began to notice it as Haymitch began mentoring Katniss. Maybe it was because of some personal feelings he had had towards Maysilee Donner, Katniss' mother's best friend, but she saw his affection towards her, even though he would constantly deny it._

 _There were so many moments when she wanted to reach out and comfort him during those Games, but felt constricted to being in her role as escort, knowing full well that lending Haymitch any kind of support would count as a slip of control, so she always held back. She wouldn't let a year long training to become a Capitol escort be for nothing._

 _Being part of the rebels had been very difficult for Effie, being a woman of high class no less, and although she loathed the tight rules which left little space for liberally parading her fashion forte, she could finally speak without being under any kind of scrutiny. She had never once dared to physically reach out to Haymitch, but she had smiled at him countless times, and although Haymitch would constantly relapse into his old habits of being bitter and sardonic, she could see some of the tension and pain drain away from him. Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch were the only people who had kept Effie in District 13._

 _Effie had then blinked away the flashback that had taken place inside her head, and focused on Flutter and what she had said, "Well, although he does have rather_ horrible _manners," she said in her usual high-pitched voice, trying not to show just how much she felt for him, "I think that some of the things I had been trying to tell him have actually gotten through to him. I have gotten rather fond of him, you know." Effie coughed after she said her last words, hoping that Flutter didn't notice the slight blush that crept into her cheeks and the way she fidgeted._

 _Flutter, completely oblivious, brightened at hearing about his improvement, and launched into a discussion about the best way to subdue bad mannerisms._

Effie counted to ten and slowly turned back around to see Katniss and Haymitch making their way over to her.

"Effie," Katniss rushed over to her and pulled Effie into a tight hug, "thank you so much for everything you have done for us."

"My dear," Effie, threatened to be engulfed in tears, breathed deeply before continuing, "promise me, Katniss, promise you'll find it."

"Find what?" Katniss asked, stepping back out of the embrace.

"The life of a victor," Effie whispered to her fiercely, overcome with emotion.

She nodded solemnly, and stood back a few paces, letting Haymitch through to step closer to Effie. Her heart began to flutter at the sight of him. His eyes, they looked right through Effie, through all the layers of makeup and clothes, and they looked right into her. Over his shoulder Effie saw Katniss turn slightly, giving them some more privacy.

"Effie," he cleared his throat and took her hands lightly, "don't be a stranger." Very slowly, he bent down to kiss her cheek. Heat flushed up into her face as his lips trailed from her cheek to her lips, which he kissed briefly. His eyes spoke volumes as he stepped back and looked at her.

Effie was so lost in thought, lost in that kiss, that she didn't even realize when he turned away and started walking away with Katniss. They were already about twenty feet away from her when she couldn't take it anymore. Her heart opened itself up and the words burst from her mouth before she could even stop them,

"Haymitch!"

He turned back slowly, looking at her curiously. The pained and pleading expression on Effie's face probably said more to him than if she had spoken the words aloud. He knew. And from the way his eyes looked at her again, Effie knew that he felt the same way too.

He slowly walked back to where she was standing, hands in pockets, a mischievous glint on his eyes, and hesitantly took her into his arms, whispering the words into her ear that from that day forth forever changed their lives:

" _Come with me."_


	2. Loss & Home

_Now_

 _Haymitch_

Women. And their clothes. That's what I was thinking about as I sat in the fast train which would bring me and Katniss back to District 12.

The second my offer to Effie had passed my lips, I had gotten an anxious feeling in my stomach, worried that she would indeed reject my offer, informing me I had misread her. But she had smiled through her tears and whispered a gentle _"yes"_ into my ear. Ever since then, I couldn't stop thinking about what this would both mean for us. I couldn't stop thinking about _her_.

Although the fall of Snow's regime meant that the borders between the districts had been uplifted and people were free to move about wherever they wanted, there was still the pressing issue of making Effie's transfer official, since she was officially a Capitol citizen and there were still rules to abide by.

Before leaving, Plutarch had called her in to make a job offer - working as his personal event assistant and planner - which she had gratefully accepted in a gush of joy and tears. The memory of her overjoyed face still made me smile. I think it was one of the only moments in her career that she had actually felt _wanted._ We then went on to tell Plutarch the news and he informed Effie that the job didn't require her to stay in the Capitol, much to her fortune. Since Plutarch would mostly be traveling between the districts himself, it wouldn't matter if she were permanently residing in the Capitol or farther away, as long as she was willing to travel to the given locations when summoned. She was also given a smart microphone headset which would enable her to work from home and take in calls from Plutarch and his clients. When she saw the new gadget, she practically melted on the spot and her eyes went back to being waterworks.

Leaving the Capitol would also not invalidate her Capitol citizenship. Effie had tried to seem nonchalant when receiving the news, but I saw past her facade. I saw the slight tilting of her lips, and the knot leaving her shoulders. The idea of not being part of the Capitol world had secretly unsettled Effie ever since moving had become a reality for her. Of course she hated the vile, destructive events that the government had brought upon all the districts and was happy about the new democracy, but to her the Capitol was home. I don't think she would ever have been the same if she would have had to permanently leave that part of her identity behind. Although I don't think I could ever fully support and accept the way the Capitol people lived and what they stood for, I was genuinely glad for her.

Plutarch had however advised us not to have Effie transferred before a new somebody would rise up to become the new leader of Panem. Things had definitely calmed down since President Snow and Coin's death, but people who were formerly deeply involved in the Hunger Games, such as Gamemakers, gamblers, stylists, escorts and assistants were being held under closer inspection through this time, and could be called in for personal interviews so that moving Effie so soon might cause suspicion. Effie had seemed outraged at the idea of anyone considering her 'suspicious' yet I could also see that she was relieved to be given more time to process the sudden change of lifestyle, and no doubt reorganize every piece of clothing in her closet as to fit the murkier colors of District 12.

I now glanced over at where my little Mockingjay sat. Katniss had been to hell and back, which was evident by the lack of emotion on her face and the dark bruises under her eyes. I leaned forward to rest my hand on her shoulder, a small sign of physical affection which I would have before never allowed myself. She had lost so many people, something we both had in common. She looked up in surprise, but didn't attempt to remove my hand. She just stared at me, emotionless.

I cleared my throat. "It gets better."

She nodded, and I could see the thankfulness in her eyes under all her buried feelings as she returned to gazing out of the window. I thought I caught sight of District 4's shoreside in the distance, but it was hard to tell with all the trees blocking the view to the neighboring districts. The districts had been purposefully been hidden from view, a smart strategy that Snow had planned so that the people never fully got to see another district but their own.

My thoughts drifted back to Katniss. It was unbearably hard at first, losing people. You thought you would never be able to stand it. Everything around you served as a memory to those who left, and it was almost overwhelming to a point where you felt detached from yourself and screamed yourself sore each night. I remember the scent of cinnamon being almost torturous to me after my mother's death. _No, not death,_ I thought to myself bitterly, _murder._

And my younger brother...he was too young. I don't think anyone believed the story of how he fell down a hole six feet deep at a wrong angle whilst coming back from school, breaking his neck, but no one dared to say anything. They were too afraid that if they would be seen sympathizing with me, they would be next. I shook my head clear of the memories and took another swig of whiskey. The alcohol that burned down my throat, helped me concentrate on something else than the past.

 _Effie_

The smell of the apartment as I walked through the double doors provided me with both a decent sense of nostalgia and joy, as well as discomfort.

" _Welcome home Effie."_ A cheerful woman's voice sounded from above the foyer. When was the last time I had been here? It had been pretty difficult keeping track of time whilst living underground in District 13.

I shut my eyes and thought back to when I had first transferred to live at this place. I remembered the tearful goodbye I had with Flutter, with whom I had before shared an apartment in one of the middle sectors of the Capitol as we had studied together. It was when I had begun working as a Captiol escort, needing to be in a more accessible area to the Tribute Center, the stylists' workshops, as well as the City Circle, where the main headquarters were situated. That was where press conferences were given, as well as full interviews, Caeser Flickerman's daily talk shows and commentary episodes on invite only. Although I had only been working with District 12 and thought I would certainly never be offered a privileged invitation to those events, the Capitol still wanted to emanate a sense of equality and fairness towards all districts. And thus even the escorts and stylists of the higher districts were given a luxorious permanent residence, which we were welcome to keep until even after retirement. The only difference that retirement would bring is that there would be less cameras present, they told us humorously, and we had all laughed along.

It was of course expected of us to continue modeling and making feisty public appearances until even the best of the Capitol surgeons couldn't hide our withering age. After you passed that mark, the _Wisdom_ mark, they called it, the conventional thing to do was mature gracefully, live a peaceful, secluded life with yourself and possible additional family members, and above all, making sure to give all your thanks to the _selfless_ , _giving_ President Snow. The old Effie had loved the idea of that plan, welcomed it with open arms.

Now I saw past all of that. A peaceful life full of glamour seemed wonderful, no doubt, and I don't think a _lady_ could ever really stop being graceful and elegant. But I learned that none of that mattered unless love was present in your life. The Capitol taught you that love was the most natural thing in the world, but the love they were talking about wasn't about the love to another person. It was about the selfish love to yourself, the love towards materialistic gluttonous things, and the twisted love of the Hunger Games. No, _personal love_ was something you learned, bit by bit. _Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, even Prim._ They had touched my heart in a way no one in the Capitol ever could, and that was the root behind the discomfort I felt as I stepped foot back into my old home.

I was startled out of my thoughts as the woman's voice began speaking again. "Would you like me to set a bath for you?" It asked kindly. The workers from District 3 had done an excellent job at making the voice have a motherly, loving quality to it.

"No, thank you." I answered back before hesitating. I thought about the next couple of days I was going to have to spend alone. "Actually, a bubble bath sounds lovely. Lavender and rose water, please."

"Right away." The voice answered immediately and I could faintly hear the bath filling up with water through the bathroom door.

I took the bag that I was holding over to the seating area, plonking it onto a hot pink armchair and took out the few possessions that I took back with me from District 13.

A hairbrush, minimal toiletries, a few fresh pairs of underwear, socks and that horrible grey jumpsuit that I vowed to cremate as soon as I got the chance.

I then moved on to checking the rest of my apartment. It was almost ironic that this had been one of the few apartments near the mansion that had been lucky enough to escape the bombings. I swallowed back the rising emotions and pushed my way into the master bedroom.

It was exactly the way I had left it, right before I had left in the morning to monitor what would be the last day of the 75th Hunger Games. My nightgown was hanging over the edge of the bed, which I instantly pulled into my arms, running my hands through the silky material, sighing in happiness. _What a couple weeks in District 13 could make you miss,_ I thought. It was sure nice to be home again.

Before I let myself sink into the newly made bath, I remembered something, grabbed the jumpsuit and turned my face up towards the ceiling, speaking directly into the implanted microphone was hidden in there. "Okay, I need this burned, pronto."


End file.
